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SURREY LIONS V YORKSHIRE PHOENIX at the Brit Oval (TSL2), 17 APRIL 2005
The Surrey Lions kick-off their bid to bounce straight
back to Division One of the 45-over totesport League against
the Yorkshire Phoenix, who have fallen on hard
times since winning the County Championship in 2001 and the Cheltenham &
Gloucester Trophy a year later.
The Tykes now languish in the bottom division in both league competitions.
Due to a lack of bite with the ball the pundits are giving them little hope of
winning promotion in the championship. Not so in the one-day league, however.
Despite all their problems last term, Yorkshire managed to reach the
semi-finals of the C&G Trophy and just missed out on promotion in the totesport.
The objective for 2005, therefore, is simple - to go
one better.
But it will not be that straightforward. Head coach David Byas has spurned
the chance to revamp things once again, even though his squad is crying out for
replacements for Darren Gough, Steven Kirby and Ryan Sidebottom (all of whom
have departed in the last eighteen months). The only decent bits of business
Yorkshire have done during the off-season have been retaining the services of
overseas batsman Phil Jacques and the signing the South African quick Deon Kruis
under the Kolpak regulations.
International calls have hardly helped Yorkshire’s plight in recent years,
but seamer Matthew Hoggard has been cleared to play tomorrow.
Sadly, for the neutrals, the England captain Michael
Vaughan will not be action. Neither
will Surrey's Graham Thorpe - who has similarly been instructed to rest by the
England management - which, combined with the absence of Mark Butcher, evens
things up immensely.
The Phoenix’s top order has a good look about it.
Jacques (505 runs in 10 completed innings in last year's
totesport League) is a future star of world cricket and in Matthew Wood
(who made the highest individual one-day score in 2004 when he struck 160
against Devon in the C&G Trophy), Anthony McGrath, Craig White and Ian
Harvey the visitors have the personnel to post a
respectable total.
White, the Yorkshire skipper, and Chris Silverwood are fit to lead the
bowling attack again after missing more than half of last season. They will be
ably supported by Tim Bresnan and Richard Dawson (23 wickets
at 25.04 runs apiece last year), with Harvey and McGrath playing
all-round roles.
If Surrey can win the toss for a change, that would be a start. Yorkshire have
called correctly in each of the last seven one-day meetings between these two
sides. After that, it is anybody's guess. The Lions appear to be short of
bowling and the Phoenix's attack is vulnerable. Overall, however, the visitors
should have enough options to keep Surrey within their sights. I don't normally
start the season in such a pessimistic mood, but my head, rather than my heart,
says it will be first advantage to the Tykes.
The Lions are without Azhar Mahmood (shin), Martin Bicknell (hamstring), Mark
Butcher (wrist) and Graham Thorpe (rested). Added to the retirement at the end
of last summer of Adam Hollioake, it is clear that the hosts will field an
unfamiliar one-day line-up. That said, one of the guys coming in to the side
tomorrow, Tim Murtagh, made a superb start to the season for the 2nd XI by
hitting 88 not out and taking 2-38 at Hove on Friday.
I Harvey, M Wood, P Jacques, A McGrath, C White (capt), I Dawood (wk), T Bresnan,
R Dawson, C Silverwood, G Kruis and M Hoggard.
|
DATE |
COMP |
RESULT |
VENUE |
TOSS |
DECISION |
SURREY |
YORKSHIRE |
|
31 Aug 2003 |
NL |
Won By 2 Runs |
Headingley |
Yorkshire |
Field |
202 (44.2) |
200-8 (45) |
|
6 Jul 2003 |
NL |
Won By 7 Wickets |
The Oval |
Yorkshire |
Bat |
200-3 (38.1) |
199 (41.5) |
|
4 Aug 2002 |
C&G |
Lost By 10 Wickets |
Headingley |
Yorkshire |
Field |
173-8 (48) |
167-0 (24.1) |
|
3 Sep 2001 |
NL |
Won By 7 Wickets |
The Oval |
Yorkshire |
Bat |
188-3 (33.2) |
214-8 (45) |
|
5 Aug 2001 |
NL |
Lost By 67 Runs |
Headingley |
Yorkshire |
Bat |
163 (40) |
230-7 (45) |
|
11-12 Jul 2001 |
C&G |
Lost By 6 Wickets |
Headingley |
Yorkshire |
Field |
244-4 (48.1) |
243 (50) |
|
9 May 2000 |
B&H |
Won By 7 Runs |
Headingley |
Yorkshire |
Field |
198-6 (50) |
191 (49.5) |
|
10 May 1998 |
NL |
Lost By 51 Runs |
Headingley |
Surrey |
Field |
67-7 (21.3) |
162-9 (40) |
|
15 Jun 1997 |
NL |
Won By 5 Wickets |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Field |
199-5 (38.3) |
198-9 (40) |
|
9 Jun 1996 |
NL |
Lost By 8 Wickets |
Headingley |
Surrey |
Bat |
90 (32.4) |
93-2 (25.5) |
|
28 May 1996 |
B&H |
Lost By 9 Wickets |
The Oval |
Yorkshire |
Field |
229 (49.5) |
230-1 (37.1) |
|
13 Aug 1995 |
NL |
Won By 12 Runs |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Bat |
308-6 (40) |
296-8 (40) |
|
11 Sep 1994 |
NL |
Won By 205 Runs |
Scarborough |
Yorkshire |
Field |
375-4 (40) |
170 (28.2) |
|
19 Sep 1993 |
NL |
Won By 5 Wickets |
The Oval |
Surrey |
Field |
188-5 (47.3) |
185 (49.5) |
|
23 Aug 1992 |
NL |
Won (Scoring Rate) |
Scarborough |
Yorkshire |
Bat |
141-1 (20.1) |
204 (39.2) |
|
21 Jul 1991 |
NL |
Lost By 8 Wickets |
The Oval |
Yorkshire |
Field |
227-8 (40) |
228-2 (36.1) |
|
10 Jun 1990 |
NL |
Won By 6 Wickets |
Hull |
Surrey |
Field |
145-4 (37.5) |
144-9 (40) |
|
12 May 1990 |
B&H |
Lost By 6 Wickets |
The Oval |
Yorkshire |
Field |
262-6 (55) |
263-4 (53.5) |
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